Get drivers to slow down (and save fuel) by making it fun

From the people who brought you piano stairs comes an idea for getting more drivers to obey speed limits. “Fun theory award” winner Kevin Richardson suggests making it “fun” to drive the speed limit by entering lawful drivers in a lottery and awarding cash prizes to some. Money could come from fining speeders, although that stretches most definitions of fun.

It’s silly, and a thousand problems would come up in execution, but it is, theoretically, a green idea, as speeding wastes fuel. Most car engines are most efficient around 50 mph and nearly as efficient between 30 and 55 mph, as Clark Williams-Derry explains. Since highway driving is generally much faster than 50, slowing down generally saves fuel.

Anyway, a pretty video makes up for a shaky idea, right? From Funtheory.com, which is funded by Volkswagon: